Guanacaste in February

When to go

February falls within the dry period that Costa Rica's national meteorological institute describes for the Pacífico Norte region, which includes Guanacaste, and the institute names the Alisio as the dominant wind. The Liberia climate table lists the month's temperatures and precipitation, so check them against your plans for beach and park days. SINAC's page for Rincón de la Vieja National Park also places the dry season in December through April, and it carries a notice about the active crater trail, so check SINAC for the current status before you plan a park day.

Trip facts

• The WMO's World Weather Information Service lists, for Liberia, Costa Rica, a mean daily maximum temperature of 34.4 °C (93.9 °F) and a mean daily minimum temperature of 21.2 °C (70.2 °F) in February, from the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional and based on monthly averages for 1973–2003. (worldweather.wmo.int, checked 2026-10-15)
• The WMO's World Weather Information Service lists, for Liberia, Costa Rica, a mean total precipitation of 1.8 mm in February (monthly averages for 1971–2003) and a mean of 0.4 precipitation days, from the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional. (worldweather.wmo.int, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Instituto Meteorológico Nacional's climate summary for the Pacífico Norte region, which includes the province of Guanacaste (1961–1990 data), says the dry period runs from December to March, that 4% of the total annual rainfall falls in it, and that the Alisio is the dominant wind. (www.imn.ac.cr, checked 2026-10-15)
• SINAC (Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Conservación) says Las Baulas National Marine Park, in Tamarindo bay in the canton of Santa Cruz, is open every day of the year from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, except during the turtle egg-laying (desove) season (October–February), when staying on the beach is permitted until 5:00 PM, and its page says there is no turtle observation and that visits to the estuary are through local guides. (www.sinac.go.cr, checked 2026-10-15)
• SINAC says entry to the waterfalls trail (Sendero de las Cataratas) at Rincón de la Vieja National Park is possible from 8:00 am until 12:00 in the dry season (December–April), and its page carries the notice 'Actualmente el Sendero Cráter Activo está cerrado por actividad volcánica' (the Active Crater trail is currently closed due to volcanic activity). (www.sinac.go.cr, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Costa Rica Tourism Board's Guanacaste page says the region relies on the Daniel Oduber International Airport, through which arrive a number of charter and commercial flights from the United States, and that there are two commercial centers in the northern area, Liberia and Santa Cruz, which are linked with five important tourism development centers: Papagayo, El Coco, Flamingo, Conchal, and Tamarindo. (www.visitcostarica.com, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Costa Rica Tourism Board's FAQ answers 'Do I need a visa to visit Costa Rica?' by saying that, depending on your country of origin, you may enter Costa Rica without a visa, and that citizens of the USA, Canada and most European countries enjoy this privilege. (www.visitcostarica.com, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Guanacaste Airport (LIR) website says the departure tax fee is $29 USD per person and asks travelers to check whether it is included in the ticket price. (www.guanacasteairport.com, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Guanacaste Airport (LIR) website's location page lists a city bus on the Liberia–Airport–Liberia route, every 30 minutes from 5:00 a.m. (www.guanacasteairport.com, checked 2026-10-15)
• The UK government's travel advice for Costa Rica says services at the Liberia Airport (LIR – Daniel Oduber International) in Guanacaste have been subject to interruptions, and that travelers should monitor carefully information from their travel provider when travelling to and from this airport. (www.gov.uk, checked 2026-10-15)